Cuffed for smokes

■ Jeff Jackson

The police in Lephalale have arrested a 27-year old man for trading in illicit cigarettes in that town’s CBD on Monday afternoon. According to the SAPS provincial spokesperson, Col Moatshe Ngoepe, the suspect, Lebona Abo, was arrested after the police received a tip-off that he was selling cigarettes from his corner shop a few blocks from the police station.

Upon arrival at the shop, the officers found and seized illicit cigarettes with the approximate street value of R750 000 in the storeroom of the establishment. He had an accomplice at the time of the police raid, but the man managed to evade arrest and was, at the time of going to print, still sought by the police. On Wednesday, Abo appeared in the Lephalale magistrate’s court where he was released on R2 000 bail and his case postponed until the 11th of June pending further police investigations into the matter.

The charge he is facing is “trading in illicit cigarettes”. It is still not certain why he was not charged under the disaster management act, or whether this charge will still be added to the sheet.